All-party delegation meets Monitoring Committee
NEW DELHI: Members of the ruling AAP, BJP and Congress on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee to put on hold the drive to seal commercial establishments in Delhi immediately. The Panel, however, gave no assurances to stop the drive.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari were among the attendees at the meeting hled at the Delhi Secretariat.
“We all wanted an end to the chaos caused by the sealing drive and sought its suspension,” Tiwari told reporters after the meeting. “But the monitoring committee members did not say anything about it,” he added.
The sealing drive by the Bjp-run Municipal Corporations of Delhi was initiated in December last year, under the direction of the Monitoring Committee.
Commercial premises, including shops and restaurants, were sealed for failing to deposit ‘conversion charges' according to provisions in Delhi Master Plan 2021.
The panel members, Bhure Lal and KJ Rao, heard the suggestions and complaints of the leaders during the meeting.
The parties asked the panel to suspend the drive as the SC is going to hear from April 2 a case on amending the city's Master Plan, Tiwari stated.
The AAP said that the Committee's members were surprised when it raised the matter of commercial establishments being closed in areas covered by the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act.
Congress leader Aman Pawar said: “We suggested hiring top lawyers to present the stand of the Centre and the Delhi government before the Supreme Court. In 2006-07, best lawyers were hired by the Congress government to represent its case in the apex court and sealing was stopped.”
The parties agreed to hire top lawyers to explain to the apex court the positions of the Centre, the Delhi government and the MCDS.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MLAS Somnath Bharti, and Saurabh Bhardwaj were also present at the meeting.